Uppinangady or Ubar is a town in the

Dakshina Kannada Dakshina Kannada district is a district of Karnataka state in India, with its headquarters in the coastal city of Mangalore. It is part of the larger Tulu Nadu region. The district covers an area nestled in between the Western Ghats to its east ...

district in the state of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

. It is surrounded by the

Kumaradhara River The Kumaradhara River is an Indian river, in the southwestern India state of Karnataka. One of the two major rivers of Sullia, it merges with the Netravati River at Uppinangadi before flowing to the Arabian Sea. The merging of the rivers is a majo ...

on one side and

Nethravathi River The Netravati River or Netravathi Nadi has its origins at Bangrabalige valley, Yelaneeru Ghat in Kudremukh in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka, India. This river flows through the famous pilgrimage place Dharmasthala and is considered one ...

on the other. When the town's two surrounding rivers rise during the

rainy season The rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Rainy Season may also refer to: * ''Rainy Season'' (short story), a 1989 short horror story by Stephen King * "Rainy Season", a 2018 song by Monni * ''T ...

and meet, this is called the "Sangam" which is a

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

word for

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

. The Sangam is a major event as people from the surrounding villages crowd the river banks to witness the merge. The population of Uppinangady is 7,172. In 1923 the town of Uppinangady was washed out due to excessive flooding, and its courts were moved to Puttur. Severe flooding also occurred in 1974. The town of Uppinangady is situated at an altitude of 53 meters. Uppinangady is also known as "Dakshina Kashi". It is believed that there is also a sangam of a third river along with the other two rivers which is known as Guptagamini. It is famous for the Sahasralingeshwara Temple

Legend

Its legend dates back to the time of Mahabharata. The Skanda Purana states that when King Yudhisthira decided to perform the Rajasuya Yagna (to proclaim his sovereignty), he sent Bhima to present day Uppinangady. There, he was attacked by the huge giant animal named Purusha Mruga. To avoid attack, he dropped one of his hairs, which instantly turned into a Shivalinga. Seeing this, Purusha Mruga stopped to worship the Linga & then proceeded to attack. Bhima again dropped a hair, which turned into another Shivalinga. This happened for quite sometime. Finally, he dropped a handful of his hair, which instantly turned into a thousand Shivalingas. Purusha Mruga stopped to worship all the Lingas, giving time to escape. The Sangama (confluence) of Kumaradhara & Netravati rivers happen near the temple. However, during the monsoon, this confluence takes place directly in front of the sanctum sanctorum. It is considered an auspicious moment to bathe in the rivers' waters. It is also said that the 1000 Shivalingas, hidden deep in the sand, are revealed when the sand recedes.

Transport

Uppinangady is at the foothills of the Western Ghats in Dakhshina Kannada district, surrounded by forests. Uppinangady lies on National Highway 75 (India), National Highway 75 which connects Mangaluru to Bengaluru. There are frequent bus and taxi service from this place to Mangaluru and its taluk headquarters Puttur and also to Kukke Subramanya. The nearest railway station is Puttur Railway station located at a distance of 12 km. The nearest airport is Mangalore International airport 55 km away.

References

External links

{{commons category, Uppinangady * http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/19/Uppinangadi.html * Herald A. Stewart, ''A Handbook to South Kanara'', 1895 * http://www.sunmediaonline.com/indiachroniclenovember/travel.html
South Canara Gazetteers 1894,1938,1973
Cities and towns in Dakshina Kannada district